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Allied healthcare training doesn’t come cheap - there’s no doubt about that. But if you’re truly passionate about becoming a radiologic technologist, a pharmacist or a physical therapist, a grant or scholarship may be just the solution you need. The approval process is no walk in the park, though. “A scholarship is an investment in the success of a student,” says Kay F. Warren, associate executive director of the CFCC Foundation - and that means a scholarship committee will be looking for the strongest match possible between your application and their own criteria. In other words, if the committee’s going to invest in you, you’ve got to give them some solid reasons to do so. Here are three ways you can demonstrate that you’re worth it.

Pick a goal and stick with it

Your application’s review board will likely place high importance on your current enrollment - which makes sense, since this gives the board some idea of how serious you are about a career in an allied health field. In fact, some scholarship foundations only award funds to applicants who’ve already been accepted to (and preferably earned a few credits in) an allied health certification program. The good news is that the range of acceptable fields is fairly broad; if you’ve taken a class in social work, speech therapy, laboratory science or another allied health subfield, this can work to your benefit when you apply. Even so, the bottom line is that you’ll stand the best chance of scoring financial aid if you’ve demonstrated a long-term commitment to get certified within a particular subfield. “Applicants should clearly define their educational goals and be able to explain how scholarship support will help them meet those goals,” Warren says. So home in on an area that’s got long-term potential and start racking up those high test scores - because a higher GPA in your area of study also counts as a major plus.

Log some volunteer hours

Even if you can’t land an internship at a lab or clinic, some volunteer hours at a local hospital or care facility will still make your application shine. This will also give you a head start on your immediate future, because in at least some cases, “scholarship recipients agree to a one-year service obligation or 100 volunteer hours practicing direct patient care,” says Anne Drumm, assistant director of legislative and public affairs at the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. A lack of medical volunteer positions doesn’t necessarily mean you’re out of luck, though - almost any “people-oriented” community service work will look good on your application, because it demonstrates the kind of social awareness the review board will be looking for.

Chat with teachers and bosses

The experts agree: no matter how sleek and well-rounded your application is, some glowing recommendations from school faculty and employers can significantly improve your chance of winning financial aid. As with the other aspects of your application, these recommendations should hint at your wide-ranging long-term commitment to service in healthcare. That means you’ll stand a better chance of getting the endorsements you want if you’ve talked over your goals with your professors, and with your supervisors at sites where you’ve volunteered. Don’t worry; this doesn’t require a huge amount of schmoozing - especially if you’re genuinely focused on achieving your career goals. Good grades, a consistent work ethic, and a track record of showing care for others will all help ease your request for a recommendation. At that point, requesting an endorsement letter will be far easier than applying for a job - after all, you’ll simply by asking your superiors to tell others what you’ve already proven to be true.

In the end, it isn’t any one of these tips that’ll improve your chances, but an application that neatly integrates all three. Still, if you take some time to clearly define your goals, line up your trajectory and get others on your side, you’ll have a good shot at impressing the committee and getting the money you need to keep learning.